We need to receive the original warrant card in our office. You can deliver in person (24 hours) or post it to our Westminster office in London.
Once we receive the police warrant card getting an apostille usually takes 2 days, and costs start from £97, including solicitor fees and FCDO fees.
We can return the legalised police ID via DHL courier (next-day service) or you can collect it in person (24 hours).
UK police warrant cards do not qualify for an e-Apostille.
Jump to: How much does it cost? | How long does it take?
The full order process:
Step one:
Make sure that your police warrant card can be legalised with an apostille.
The police ID card must be valid and undamaged so that a clear photocopy can be taken.
Step two:
Contact our office.
When emailing, please provide the following information:
- In which country will your warrant card be used?
- How soon do you need the apostille?
- Do you also require embassy legalisation?
- How will the ID card be delivered and returned?
When we have all the information, the team will assess your enquiry and give you are personalised and detailed quotation.
If you accept the quotation, we send an invoice to be paid, and the process of getting the apostille starts.
Step three:
As soon as your police force warrant card has been apostilled, we will send you a scanned copy via email.
If you are not collecting your apostilled document from our London office – we will provide you with the DHL tracking number given by the courier.
Note that we return documents by DHL courier only. If you want to make other arrangements, please let us know.
The cost of getting an apostille for a UK police warrant card starts from £97.
Other costs will depend on what service you choose (standard or express service) if you need embassy attestation, and what return delivery method you choose.
Additional cost examples are:
- Same day or express service (+ £123)
- Return delivery costs (+ £15)
- Notarisation by notary public (+ £90)
- Embassy attestation/legalisation (from £75)
How long does it take to get an apostille for a UK police warrant card?
Standard processing times for getting an apostille is 1-2 working days.
Here is an explanation of the difference between the 1 to 2 day service times:
- If your documents arrive by 10 am, it will take 1 day to process your documents + next-day return delivery.
- If your documents arrive after 10 am, then it would take 2 days to apostille your documents + next day return delivery.
We also offer a same-day apostille service.
- Documents must arrive before 10 am for the same-day service.
- Documents can be collected around 4 pm the same day.
Same-day service assumes you can drop off and collect your documents on the same day.
The same-day becomes a 24-hour service if a courier service is used.
Discover how the same-day apostille service works.
Do I have to come to your office?
The only time you must attend in person is if your police warrant card must be notarised by a notary public. However, we find that police officers attend the office regardless, so that they don’t have to leave their police ID.
We only take a photocopy, which takes 5 minutes, and the police officers take their police ID cards with them and don’t have to leave the ID for the certification.
But, if you are not based in London or can’t travel to London, documents can be sent by courier or by post. We recommend using a tracked service if you send your documents by post. We return your documents in the same way.
Why does a warrant card need an apostille?
Police officers who need to have evidence of their identity and occupation while they are outside the UK (but not on duty) should obtain a copy of their warrant card.
The copy must be certified by a solicitor or notary public and must be legalised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with an apostille.
A warrant card is both a proof of identity and a token of authority carried by police officers and special constables. It authorises them to perform the functions of their office.
A warrant card must not be carried by anyone other than the police officer to whom it has been issued.
There is a risk that warrant cards may be lost or stolen. Warrant cards may be used by criminals for the purpose of impersonating a police officer [1].
Police officers should not normally take their UK warrant card overseas unless they are on official police business or have been seconded to a foreign police force [2].
UK police have no jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom [3].
Why police warrant cards must be copied and certified.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not accept original warrant cards for legalisation.
Warrant cards must be kept intact and undamaged. A damaged warrant card is no longer valid.
The process of legalisation by the FCDO involves attaching an apostille to a document. Affixing the apostille certificate to an original warrant card would damage the card and invalidate it.
For these reasons, the FCDO will only legalise a copy of the original card certified by a UK solicitor or notary public.
Why must I get a certified copy of my warrant card for an apostille?
An ordinary photocopy of the warrant card does not satisfy the requirements of the FCDO.
The copy of the warrant card must be vouched for (certified) by a UK solicitor or notary public before it is accepted for legalisation with an apostille [4].
Who can certify the copy of my warrant card?
For the purpose of legalisation, only a UK registered solicitor or notary public can certify the copy of a warrant card. The type of certification will depend on the requesting overseas authority and country.
For example, Hague member countries only require a solicitor certification. Non-Hauge member countries may require notarisation.
Basic solicitor certification certifies the signature or that the solicitor has seen the warrant card, but does not certify that the warrant card is genuine.
If the warrant card must be certified as genuine, then a notary must verify the warrant card with the issuing authority.
Does the apostille for my warrant card expire?
The validity of the apostille for a police warrant card is the same as for the warrant card itself [5].
The apostille for a warrant card expires when the warrant card expires.
Other enforcement agencies’ warrant card examples are:
Do I need a translation of my warrant card apostille?
The need for a translation is determined by the country which requests the apostille. A certified translation should be provided if the requesting country asks for it [6].
We offer translation for all official ID and warrant cards. Translation takes 2-3 days and usually costs £75 per warrant card, but we offer a discount for all UK enforcement agencies’ warrants and only charge £50 per ID.
